Changing Seasons, Healing Hearts
by TwiHEAcontest
Summary: Two friends, two broken hearts and one destiny. Which will it be? Contest entry for the Happily Ever Twific Contest


**Contest entry for the Happily Ever After TwiFic Contest**

**Title: **Changing Seasons, Healing Hearts

**Pairing: **Leah/Jacob

**Rating: M**

**Summary:** Two friends, two broken hearts and one destiny. Which will it be?

**Disclaimer: **Stephenie Meyer owns everything, I just play with her characters and write stories about happy endings that never were.

* * *

"_**We change for two reasons: either, we learn enough that we want to, or we've been hurt enough to have to."  
**_-Anonymous

**= Leah Clearwater =**

Tick. Tock. Tick.

That is the sound reverberating inside of Jane De Luca's office, and it's annoying me. God, I feel as if I were in the sixth grade, sitting in the principal's office for punching Jacob Black in the face, proving him that I didn't hit like a girl.I'm almost in as much deep shit as I was back then given that Jane is my boss.

I chuckle lightly as I recall the memory of Jake and me as I kids, running around and fighting all the time, and this clearly upsets Janey.

"Do you think this is funny, Leah?" she asks, raising her brow.

"No, not at all," I explain. "I was just remembering something."

She scoffs, rolling her eyes at me. "Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to our situation here."

It's my turn to roll my eyes. "Listen, Jane, I get it, okay? I know that 'the customer is always right' and that it also applies to real estate, but Irina Denali is really fucking irritating. She changes her mind about the property she wants to buy every week, so how am I supposed to help her without losing my mind?"

Jane huffs exasperatedly, "I know, Leah; I know. But she's an important client and we can't afford to lose her, okay? Now, you know you're one of my best sellers here at Seattle Pacific Real Estate, but your attitude has got to change. Heidi has already threatened to quit if she's still assigned as your broker."

I roll my eyes at the thought. _Heidi Voltaren can kiss my ass for all I care. _As a matter of fact, she'd be doing us all a favor by leaving, _especially_ Felix- I bet he'd grateful to rid himself of a psychotic, stalker ex-girlfriend.

Shifting in my seat, I position my arms across my chest. "You know your company would still be successful without Heidi, right?"

With a condescending smile, Jane retorts, "That's not the point, Leah. If you don't get your act together, I'm going to be forced to let you go."

"Fine," I acquiesce, rolling my eyes. "I'll try my best to control my temper, Janey, but only because I love you."

A soft chuckle escapes her lips. "I know, Leah, and I love you, too, which is why I'm giving you a second opportunity to make things right. And that brings me to the good-news part of this meeting." She clears her throat and straightens in her chair. "There's a new broker that's going to be coming in next week; her name is Makenna Brown, and she's going to be working with you from now on."

"Am I going to have to train her?" I raise my brow, waiting for her reply.

"Not at all; she actually has a lot of experience and just moved to Seattle from California. I also have a feeling she's exactly what you need," Jane said, enigmatically.

Letting out an exhale, I shifted in my chair. "Well, that's just great," I deadpanned.

"Okay, well, that will be all, Leah," Jane said, dismissively. "I'll see you on Monday. Have a nice weekend."

"Thanks; you, too," I replied, standing from my seat.

As I make my way to the parking lot after locking up my office, I think about how right Jane is regarding my behavior, and I realize that I do need to be more tactful when it comes to clients. I mean, I should have this down pat by now, and it's one of the first things I learned when studying for my Realtor's License, but no matter how hard you try to keep your personal issues out of your work, they always manage to weavethemselves in.

And my issues, well, they're more than that; they're scars.

My soul has been marred by the people that I loved the most, and that's just something that you never recover from. I mean, would you be unscathed if you'd caught your fiancé in bed with your best friend?

I don't think so.

The worst thing was having to stick around and watch as they transitioned from being a mere fling into a fully-committed relationship - all of which happened while the pity of others smothered me. I stayed in my small town for as long as I could, but when I finally found the opportunity to leave it all behind, I took it.

When I found out, I practically had to beg Jacob Black to allow me to come with him to the city. He had been looking for an escape, too, and even though we weren't even friends, he finally relented after I offered to cook and clean for him until I could get my own place.

Yeah, Jake - the same boy I punched in sixth grade - agreed to be my roommate, and that's how we made our big move to Seattle.

His best friend Quil tagged along with us for no other reason than to follow Jake, and help him open up a mechanic shop with their savings. When we first moved, Quil and Jake worked for Garrett Patriot, who wasn't that much older than they were, but who still had his own mechanic shop and gave the boys an opportunity. They'd both work in the mornings and go to school at night in order to get their ASE certification.

Two years after they got certified, they finally opened up Brothers Auto Body Shop, and thankfully, it has been very successful. It wasn't easy, but we all stuck together when times were tough.

They were there when I stayed up late at night to study for my exams after working long days waitressing at Duke's Diner. We all pitched in for the rent of the small mobile home we lived in, and split all the bills. We'd even carpool sometimes to save money on gas and bus fare because keeping a roof above our heads and making sure we had a refrigerator with food was not an easy task.

These boys and I earned everything that we have, and now, we're just like family. The only difference is that I moved out two years ago and Jake and Quil actually stayed at the same house despite being able to afford something better. Jake said that he couldn't part from the place that was now his home away from home, and I must admit that I miss it sometimes.

**.**

My phone buzzes as I enter my empty apartment, signaling I have a new text message. I toss my keys on my hall table and remove my shoes before making my way to the couch in the living room.

Unlocking my Lumia, I read the text that Jake sent me. _Whatchu doing tonight?_

Smiling, I respond: **Staying in. Had a rough day at work. You?**

_Want some company for dinner? You pitch in the pizza and I'll pitch in some beer._

Oh, that's typical Jake on a plan-free Friday night for you.

**If you bring Budweiser again, you're sleeping on the couch.**

_I _always _sleep on the couch, Lee. Be there in thirty minutes. _

**Kay.**

I stand from the couch, taking off my blazer as I walk to my room, and then change into some comfortable clothes. In my adjoining bathroom, I wash my face, removing all traces of the woman I have to be for work. I hate dressing up, but when you're a high-end realtor, you must dress the part, or your competition will eat you alive.

All of the designer clothes, shoes and purses I have in my closet are the result of my hard work, because I surely busted my ass to get to the top. Before I even applied to Seattle Pacific Real Estate, I had to save my tip-money from waitressing to buy myself decent clothes and shoes for almost a year. Once I actually got hired, it was only for a part-time position given that I was still new in the business, and that meant strenuous work since I had to travel a lot from the diner to some of the properties. It wasn't until two years later that I was promoted and got my own office, as well as being partnered with Heidi.

I've had big successes, but my life sometimes feels lonely. Almost as lonely as this two-bedroom apartment where I live, which is simple and quaint, and that has been customized to my lifestyle.

The only other constant presence here is Jacob's and occasionally Quil's when he comes over to watch a football game together. I have a younger brother – Seth - but he still lives in Port Angeles with my parents, and even though I know that he'd love to move in with me, my dad would never allow it.

_Having my baby girl living away from me is bad enough_, he'll say.

With a successful career, at my twenty-four years of age, you'd think that I have everything I could possibly want, but it's not that way. All the dreams of having a family that I once had when I was with Sam, my ex-fiancé, seem so unapproachable now, impossible even.

I can't imagine having that life with anyone else, yet deep down, I _crave_ it.

It's something that I can feel deep in my bones whenever I see families at the park, or at the store, but especially after a long day at work. Those days are the hardest, knowing that there won't be anyone to greet me when I get home; wishing that little hands would reach up to greet me after sharing a kiss with my significant other.

But there is only solitude to be found here… solitude that eventually takes its toll on me.

A WhatsApp notification brings me back from my momentary reverie, making me smile as I read it: _You forgot to order the pizza again! Already called and ordered us two Supremes from Pizza Hut, so have money at the ready and make sure to give the delivery guy a big tip._

I head to the living room just as the doorbell rings, opening it to find Jacob standing there with both the pizzas and a Corona six-pack.

"Special delivery!" he chimes, grinning like a kid.

Pretending to look at my watch, I tease, "Will you look at that? You took longer than thirty minutes, so my pizza is free, sucker!"

Jake guffaws loudly, handing me the pizzas. "That's because I had to call Pizza Hut to check if you'd placed your order, and _then_ I went to the liquor store to buy the Coronas before picking up the pizzas, Lee. Why'd you forget to get them this time?"

"I'm sorry," I sigh, walking toward the kitchen to grab some plates. "I got caught up thinking over what Jane said at my review today." And that's not really a lie; my conversation with her definitely stirred up a lot of emotions and memories.

"Oh, yeah?" he raises his brow as he places the beer on my kitchen table.

"Yeah," I nod. "She literally said I need to get my shit together, or I'm gonna lose my job."

"Wow, Lee; I didn't know you were having problems at work."

I shrug. "I wasn't, really, but Heidi filed a complaint against me, saying she was working under hostile conditions by being my partner, so boss-lady had to take drastic measures and now I'm gonna work with another broker."

Jake scowls, grabbing some napkins. "Those _are_ drastic measures, girl. Did she tell you whom you're gonna work with now?"

"Yeah, she's a new girl; I'm meeting her on Monday."

"Well, you can worry about it then," he appeases. "Right now, it's pizza time, baby!"

I grin, following him into the living room and taking my seat next to him on my leather sofa couch. As I do so, I am able to finally relax wholly as the familiarity of our camaraderie settles in.

**.**

My co-workers and I sit patiently in our conference room while Jane goes over the monthly goal, as well as assigning us new potential clients according to our teams, and then proceeds to introduce Makenna to the group.

While I observe her, I have to admit that she's not what I expected at all.

Makenna seems to be in her mid-twenties and is as tall and beautiful as a model; she has long, blonde hair which falls in waves, framing her round face perfectly, and her full bangs make her blue eyes stand out. Her clothes are simple yet stylish, and you can tell that she spends a lot of time at the gym.

I would almost dare to say that she's high-maintenance, but I somehow doubt that's true. She smiles at everyone and gives us a polite greeting before Jane finally excuses us from our meeting.

As soon as I stand, Makenna approaches me. "You're Leah, right?"

"Yes, that would be me," I respond, raising a brow.

"Do you have anything to do right now? I wanted to see if you could grab some brunch with me."

"Um, okay?" I look at my watch to see how much free time I have. "I actually have to be back in three hours for an appointment with a potential customer, but I don't think we'll take that long, right?"

"Right," she nods.

"Okay, well, let me go get my things and I'll meet you at the parking lot?" I say, picking up my agenda.

"Actually, can we drive separately and meet at IHOP? There's somewhere I need to be afterward," she explains.

I nod and smile. "Sure."

**.**

Twenty minutes of driving and a cup of coffee later, Makenna finally shows up at the restaurant.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," she cries out, sliding in into her seat in our booth.

"That's fine," I appease. "I just got here, like, ten minutes ago."

"Oh, okay," she sighs. "Have you ordered anything yet?"

I shrug. "Just coffee for now."

"Alrighty then, we should order some food, because I'm hungry like a wolf."

"_Hungry like a wolf_?" I chuckle before taking a sip of my coffee.

"Yeah, you've never heard that expression? It's from a song by Duran Duran; it's, like, from the eighties, or something."

I can't help snickering. "You mean 'Hungry Like _the_ Wolf'? And you do know that song is about sex, not food, right?"

Makenna shrugs, frowning. "Meh, sex… food… it's all the same."

We're interrupted by our server who asks us if we're ready to order, I already know what I'm going to order without having to look at the menu: the Quick Two-Egg breakfast since I don't want Makenna to think I eat like a pig.

_And_ then she orders the Breakfast Sampler, because apparently, she really _is_ hungry like a wolf.

"So," I begin, sitting up straighter as soon as the server leaves. "What did you want to talk about?"

Makenna takes a sip of her coffee and then sets down her cup. "I just wanted to make sure that you understand how things are going to be from now on. Jane told me that you had some problems with your previous broker because of your attitude, and shit like that is not gonna fly with me. We're a team now, so you can't just think about yourself here, alright?"

I'm actually kind of baffled that she's talking to me this way given that we've only just met, and if she knows I can be rude, how can she not be afraid that I'll lash out?

"Listen, I've been told that Heidi's not the best broker at the firm, but that's not an excuse for risking an important client like Irina Denali," she continues without waiting for my response. "If you do that while we're working together, I will take over the account and I'll make sure that you don't get a commission for it."

I don't even ask her how she knows that Irina is an important member of the community, because it's apparent that this girl's done her research, so instead, I sneer, "Jane would never agree to that."

"Oh, she would," Makenna taunts. "In fact, she already has; it was one of my conditions for agreeing to be your partner."

I exhale, closing my eyes as I attempt to control my anger. I cannot afford to lose my temper with this girl; I know that much. When I open my eyes, I look directly into hers. "Fine," I retort. "What are your other conditions, Makenna?"

"I only have that one," she shrugs. "I just want us to work as a team - as the partners that we are - from this point on. And there is no "I" in team, okay?"

And with that comment, she makes me crack a smile. Because seriously, how can you go from being a ball-buster to cracking lame lines and still be kick-ass?

"Okay," I agree. "And just so you know, I'm actually going try to behave, because I think I might actually like you."

Makenna grins. "Trust me, girl, you're gonna love me so much, I might have to place a restraining order against you."

My grin turns into a full-on smirk. "Well, now you're just being conceited, but I do think Jane was right about you."

"What did Jane say?" she asks, raising her brow.

"That you were probably just what I needed," I confess, looking down. "From what we've just talked about now, I can tell you'll put me in my place when it's needed, and that takes balls, Makenna. I can be a scary bitch when I want to be."

Makenna reaches out and grabs my hand. "Leah, look at me."

I lift my gaze to hers, and wait for her next words.

"I don't know what happened to make someone as beautiful as you so cynical, but whatever it was, you need to put it past you. Hate is a nasty thing, and it makes you a nasty person, so the longer you hold that feeling, the more power you give to the person that hurt you," she says.

I'm rendered speechless as Makenna retreats her hand and takes a drink from her coffee. Not only did she just call me beautiful, which I've never considered myself to be, but she also makes me feel vulnerable with how easily she can see through me. Twisting my napkin between my fingers, I ask, "How did you know that I-"

"It doesn't take a genius to figure that out, Leah," she shrugs. "Besides, I've had my own bad experiences, and those taught me a thing or two about hatred." She gets a faraway look as she continues, "Kinda the same reason I ran away, y'know?"

"You ran away from California? Seems like Seattle is the fugitive choice for everyone," I snicker.

She frowns, placing her coffee on the table. "Why do you say that?"

"My best friend and I escaped from Port Angeles to Seattle five years ago. Another friend of ours also came along when we moved, but he was just following his best friend, so he wasn't running away."

"Do you live with your friend? What's her name?"

I laugh. "No, I don't live with _him_, but Jake does spend most of his weekends with me, so, I guess he kinda does live with me in a way."

"Wait, you moved here with two _guys_?" she asks, baffled. "Are they, like, gay, or something? I mean, not that would be a bad thing, or anything."

"No, they're not gay." I shake my head, scowling. "Why would you ask that?"

"Have you seen yourself in a mirror?" she scoffs. "You're hot, and I just find it unbelievable that they'd never try to get into your pants."

Me? Hot? Now she's just being ridiculous… or maybe she's actually hitting on me? Who knows, yet it does cause me to scoff this time. "Quil and Jake are like my brothers, Makenna." Taking another drink from my coffee, I roll my eyes and then continue. "Besides, Quil is always hooking up with random girls, and Jake," I sigh. "Jake got his heart broken and he hasn't dated since then."

_And, oh, my God, did Bella Swan break his heart. _

"I just find it so weird," Makenna sighs, engaging me in the conversation once again. "Have you ever watched the movie _Savages_?"

"No. Why?" I spit.

"It would explain why I can't believe that y'all weren't involved with one another," she snorts. "It's a crazy-good movie, and I'm not gonna spoil it for you, so watch it when you have a chance and you'll know what I'm talking about."

"Okay," I acquiesce, looking up in time to see the server coming over with our food. She places Makenna's food in front of her, and her eyes light up. "Ooh, bacon," she moans, picking up a piece and biting it.

Oh, yeah. I'm definitely gonna like this girl.

**.**

I'm sitting on my couch, watching _Guys with Kids _after work, which I've been doing this for the past hour since I got home and changed into comfortable clothes. This was my solution as I sought a way to relax a little after the arduous day I had, plus it's Monday, and those _always_ suck at that office.

Once again, I find myself confounded by the feelings stirred-up inside me. Her words struck a chord just as Jane's did, and what shocks me the most is that I thought I was concealing my emotions, but it seems that I wear my heart on a sleeve.

My phone rings and I look at the caller ID, smiling and muting the TV before answering with a "Yo'."

"Yo'," Jake mirrors. "How you doing, girl? How did it go at work today?"

"Good," I reply. "Work was okay."

"It was okay, but somehow you're in a funk," he observes. "You want me to come over?"

"It's actually kinda creepy how well you know me, Jake," I admit, "but I guess you'd be in a funk, too, if you'd met Makenna Brown today."

"Oh, man," he sighs. "It's that bad, huh?"

"Not really," I chuckle. "_Makenna's_ not that bad, and I think I might actually like her, but there were some things we talked about during brunch that made me introspective."

"And what'd you talk about?"

"Oh, you know," I shrug even though he can't see me. "Girl-stuff."

Jake chuckles. "Okay, if it is girl-stuff like periods, tampons, PMS and all that, I'm out. That's something I do _not_ need to know about."

"Ha-ha, fucker," I quip, shaking my head. "I don't even know what you're complaining about; you're the youngest of three siblings, and the only boy, so I bet you know a lot about it."

"Exactly," he exclaims. "_That's_ why I don't wanna talk about it anymore."

"Alright," I concede. "I won't torture you anymore."

"So, tell me about this Makenna girl; is she nice? Or is she a total bitch like Heidi?"

I gasp. "Jacob Black, did you just call a girl a bitch? That is _so_ unlike you."

"Isn't that what you called her all the time? I picked that up from you."

"Yeah, but I'd never thought you'd ever call anyone that," I snicker.

"Well, she deserves that name after making you go through hell, Lee. It was as if it were her personal goal to aggravate you."

"You do know she only did it in retaliation, right?"

"We're you really _that_ mean to her?"

"Maybe," I confess. "I don't know. I wasn't very nice to her either."

"Things have to change, Lee," he sighs. "You can't take out your anger on everyone anymore. All the pent up frustration you have is affecting you more than you can afford, and do you really wanna throw everything to shit because of what Sam did to you? Is it really worth being miserable over him?"

"Makenna said something like that," I exhale. "She metaphorically kicked my ass."

"I think I like this girl already," he cries. "When do I get to meet her?"

"Soon," I reply. "I'll let you know when."

"Sounds like a plan."

**.**

Makenna and I are in my office, both of us frustrated, and just about to lose our shit over what happened earlier today.

"I'm gonna kill that bitch if I ever see her again," Mak seethes.

"Lemme know what your plan is and I'll help you out," I promise.

"Oh, yeah, you'll help me out," she snorts. "You're gonna hold her hands when I'm wringing her skinny neck, Leah!"

The visual that ensues makes me chuckle, because I can almost see Makenna straddling Heidi, choking her while I hold her hands above her.

"Seriously, though," she says, "How can she do that to the firm after all the time she worked here? Did you fuck her boyfriend, or something?"

"What?" I screech. "No! I would _never_ date any of my coworkers. That's, like, the number one rule of the shit you don't do at your workplace, dude. No. _Just_ no."

Her mood shifts immediately as she looks down at her lap, fiddling with her hands. I'm about to ask her what's up when my phone beeps. "What?" I grumble as I press the speaker button.

"Sorry to interrupt you, Leah," Maggie, the receptionist, squeaks. "I just wanted to let you know that Jake is here."

"Oh," I say, surprised. "Okay, well, let him in, please."

"Sure," she replies.

"So, I'm _finally_ going to meet your 'brother', huh?" Makenna mocks.

Yes, "finally" would be the correct word given that it's been a month since we started working together and them meeting hasn't taken place. Jake's been busy at the shop working long hours with Quil, and I've been helping Makenna unpack her stuff and set up her apartment, so it's been almost impossible to get together. And maybe that's a good thing, because I'm actually a little afraid of them meeting, to be honest.

As I'm about to retort with a witty remark, a knock at the door interrupts our banter. Jake opens the door cautiously, peering in. "Hey, Lee. Are you busy? I can come by later if you want."

"No, that's fine." I recline in my chair. "I want to introduce you to Makenna."

"Oh," he says, finally entering. He stands before Mak and extends his hand. "I'm Jacob Black; it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Makenna Brown," she says, taking his hand in hers, shaking it. "I feel like I already know you from all the incredible things I've heard about you, Jacob Black. Also, how awesome is it that we both have color-related last names? We're named after the coolest colors in a crayon box!"

"Black and brown suck," I say. "Especially brown; when have you heard a little kid say they loved that color, huh?"

"You're just jealous because you wish you were as cool as us," Jake says, releasing her hand and walking over to me.

"Me? Jealous? Whatever, man." I shrug. "I wasn't the one that was teased about my last name."

He leans over and hugs me, placing a soft kiss on my cheek. "No, you weren't, but that's because you were the one that was doing the teasing, remember?"

"Seriously?" Makenna asks.

"Yup," Jake laughs. "She was terrible as a little girl; punching boys and making other girls cry."

Both of them laugh at my expense, making me grumble in mock-annoyance.

"So, what's up" I ask Jake. "Did you get out of work early?"

"Oh, no, I was just in the neighborhood and decided to stop by, but what on earth has your panties in a bunch, babe? I could feel your rage through the phone on Maggie's desk."

"We were planning Heidi Voltaren's death," Makenna explains. "We gotta take that bitch down; you wanna help?"

"And _why_ were you doing that?" Jake asks, concerned. "What did she do now?"

I exhale, crossing my arms and looking up at him. "Remember how I told you that she quit two days after Mak and I started working together?" He nods. "Okay, well, she went to work for the competition, and not only that, she somehow managed to get in contact with one of our potential buyers and offer them a better deal on the property they were interested in."

"And this was an important account," Makenna adds. "We'd been working with them for almost three weeks. The only way she got them to sign with her was because she lowered their mortgage rate to what's considered borderline-illegal. They could actually have legal troubles because of it, and Heidi only did it out of spite."

"Well, can't you guys do anything about it?" Jake asks.

"Jane's looking into it, and she's going to file a report to the National Association of Realtors, but other than that, there really isn't anything we can do."

"Our commission for that would've been awesome, too," Mak says, longingly.

"Well, that really does suck." Jake shifts and sighs. "So, listen," he says to me. "Quil and I are heading over to Mike's tonight, and maybe you guys can come over? Have a drink and relax a little?"

"Oh, I'm in," Makenna proclaims. "I'm so in, even if this broad doesn't wanna go."

"Fuck you," I spit in jest.

"Anytime, baby." She smacks her lips in a kiss and winks at me.

"I already told you that you're not my type, Mak. Grow a dick and some balls, and then call me." I shrug, smiling.

Jake guffaws and then smirks at me. "I like her," he says, turning and pointing to Makenna. "I expect to see both of you there, okay? If you can make my girl smile, then I know I want you two to spend more time together."

"We'll be there, even if I have to drag her by her hair," she says.

"Cool, then I'll see you guys, later," he says, pinching my nose and laughing as he steps away from me.

I playfully glare at him, saying, "Sure thing, Kiddo."

Makenna laughs waving back at Jake as he closes the door behind him and then looks at me, raising her brow.

"What?" I ask, raising my own.

"I have no idea why you're not hitting that, because if I were you, I'd be climbing him like Mount Everest," she says, flailing her hands.

"I already told you," I groan, "he's like my brother, Makenna."

She scoffs, saying, "If he were _my_ brother, there'd be an extremely passionate version of _Flowers in the Attic_ between us. Just saying."

"Ew," I grimace. "That's just fucking disturbing.

"_No_, what's fucking disturbing is that you two aren't fucking each other like bunnies when you're clearly attracted to each other."

"Okay, now you're just making up shit."

"Nope," she says, popping her lips. "I'm just saying it like it is."

"Whatever," I grumble.

**.**

I'm parking the car at Original Mike's with Makenna in tow a couple of hours later when she asks, "So, you can drive me back to the office tomorrow morning to pick up my car, right?"

"That's the plan," I nod. "Just a piece of advice? Don't wake me up too early unless you wanna be punched in the face."

She grimaces. "Yeah, I'm not doing that. And thanks for being the designated driver, as well as letting me crash at your place later."

"No problem, girl. Besides, this bar is too far away from your house for you to be driving alone late at night."

"That's true," she concedes. "Anyhow, let's forget about all the problems at the office, and have fun tonight, okay?"

"Okay," I smile, "sounds perfect to me."

We get out of the car and walk toward the bar's entrance as I spot Tyler, the bouncer, and wave as we walk past him. He smiles and waves back, winking at me as he lets us through.

Makenna looks at me and frowns. "They don't card here?"

"Oh, no, they _definitely_ card here, but _we_ don't get carded because we've been coming here since it opened, and Mike, the owner, is friends with Jake."

"What about me, though?" she asks, perplexed.

"Pfft, you don't look under twenty-one anymore, Mak," I tease. "Probably haven't in awhile."

"Fuck you," she sneers.

I look her up and down, and say, "Yeah, you're still not my type." She laughs, shaking her head at me.

Jake calls us over as soon as he sees us and we make our way over their table. Quil's face breaks out in a huge grin before hugging me. "Leah-lee, I'm so glad you guys could make it," he says, pulling back while looking at Mak. He waves to her, and says, "I'm Quil; Quil Ateara. How you doin'?"

She grimaces. "Does that actually work for you?"

"Sometimes," he shrugs.

"How sad," Mak deadpans before breaking out in laughter. She extends her hand to him and says, "I'm sorry, that wasn't nice. I'm Makenna Brown; nice to meet you."

He takes her hand and shakes it, "You're a ballbuster... I like that. A lot. It's hot."

Mak grins sheepishly and shrugs. "Thanks."

Jake and I snort at the same time as I take my seat next to him. "Unbelievable," he mutters.

"Tell me about it," I add.

"So, can I buy you a drink?" Quil asks Makenna, still holding her hand.

She nods. "Sure."

I clear my throat loudly, expecting them to break apart, but it doesn't happen, so I just turn to Jake, and ask, "What are you having?"

"Just a beer," he shrugs. "I'm the DD."

"Oh, joy; me, too," I quip. "Will you go with me to the bar to get one? I have a feeling these two are going to ignore us for the rest of the night." Jake agrees and we head over to there, leaving Makenna and Quil still engrossed in their conversation, completely oblivious of our departure.

Once we take a seat, Eric, the bar tender, holds up two fingers as he spots us from the other side of the bar, and I nod. Walking over, he hands a bottle of Corona to each, and smiles. "I see Quil has made a new 'friend'," he says, raising his brows.

"Looks like it." Jake takes a swig from his beer and shrugs.

"Ugh," I groan, shaking my head. "If Makenna goes home with him, I'm gonna hear all about it on Monday."

Jake chuckles. "Welcome to my world, Lee."

"Does he seriously tell you about all the one-night stands he has?" I ask, astonished.

"With all the gritty details," he exhales.

"Oh, my God," I frown. "That's…"

"Disturbing?" Jake inquires, raising his brow.

"What chicks are supposed to do, not guys," Eric adds.

"_Right_, like you never go home to your buddies and tell them how hard you banged a chick," I retort.

Eric shakes his head. "Not like Quil, I don't."

"Yeah," Jake says, "because doing that leaves your best friend scarred for life."

"Why haven't told him you don't wanna hear about it?" I ask.

Jake scoffs. "When has Quil ever done something you ask him _not_ to do?"

I nod. "Yeah, that's true." Turning slightly to look over my shoulder, I notice that Quil and Makenna are no longer at our table, and can't help the frustrated moan that escapes me.

"What?" Jake asks.

"Makenna and Quil," I reply. "They're not at the table anymore."

"Maybe they're dancing," Eric says.

"Maybe," I muse, as Jacob's phone buzzes in his pocket.

"Or maybe not," he says, reading his text. "Quil and Makenna just left and they're heading to my place."

"They left?" I scoff. "Quil didn't even pay for his drink!"

"Don't worry about it, Leah," Eric says. "It's on the house."

I look at Jake, whom seems to be distressed. "What's the matter with you?"

"I don't have a ride home, and I'm pretty sure I don't wanna be there tonight. Can I stay at your place instead? I'll make you breakfast," Jake promises.

"As if you even have to ask," I scorn. "Just make sure you don't burn the toast this time."

"I only burned the toast _once_, Leah. _Once_. When are you gonna let that go? Besides, it wasn't even my fault; your toaster sucks," he says, before taking a sip from his beer.

Eric looks at us, placing his hands on the counter in front of him. "Okay, let me get this straight: you two have spent the night together at Leah's new pad?"

"Yeah," I reply.

"But not the way you're thinking," Jake quickly adds.

"Why?" Eric scowls. "Are you gay, Jake?"

Jake almost chokes on his beer as I respond, "No, he's not gay. Why?" It truly is unbelievable that his sexually has been questioned _twice_ in one day.

Eric's brows almost reach his hairline as he looks between us. "I just don't get it, then."

"There's nothing to understand," Jake says, wiping his lips with his napkin. "Leah's like my sister."

"Yeah, and we're _just_ friends, you dumbass," I sneer.

"Whatever, man," Eric says, shrugging. "Just tell me one thing, Leah: does Jake like to cuddle?"

I take a drink of my beer and smile. "Yeah, and not only that; he's a spooner," I tease.

Jake chuckles. "And you snore. Loudly."

I flip him off, taking two large gulps from my Corona before asking, "Are you ready to go, or do you wanna stick around longer?"

"Nah, I'm good," he says, "I'm actually kinda tired."

"Yeah, me, too." I agree, taking one last chug from my beer and placing the empty bottle on the bar, as I eye Jake's half-full beer. "Are you gonna drink that?"

Jake shrugs. "I was, but if I don't, I can finally drive your new beamer."

"Alright." I take out my wallet and hand Eric a twenty, knowing that it'll cover our tab as well as having enough change to leave a good tip. "Let's go." We stand, thanking Eric, and head to my car.

**.**

Turning in my sofa bed**,** I snuggle deeper into the covers as the sunrays filter through my window, warming my face. I want to stay in bed longer, but I know it's late and the smell of bacon is enough to make me at least sit up. As I stretch out and yawn, Jake walks over to me and hands me a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Lee. Sleep well?" he asks, smirking.

"Yeah," I say, before taking a sip from my cup. "How long have you been up?"

"Not for a long while."Jake shrugs. "Just long enough to make breakfast."

"What'd you make?"

"Your favorite: bacon and eggs with a side of un-burnt toast," he grins.

I stand up and poke his rib. "You know, Jake, if you weren't gay, I'd marry you."

"Oh, not you, too," he groans, throwing his hands in the air.

Leaving him behind, I head to the kitchen as I take another sip of coffee and sit at the breakfast bar where Jake has set up our food. "I seriously can't understand why people find it hard to believe that you and I have never been involved. Even Makenna said something about it, just yesterday, after meeting you."

Jake scoffs as he walks into the kitchen and grabs the coffee pot, refilling my cup. "Well, that's because people aren't used to friendships like ours, Lee."

"That must be it," I muse, picking up a piece of bacon from my plate.

Jake walks back to the counter and replaces the coffee pot in the machine before sitting next to me. "How's the bacon?"

I smile. "Perfect! Just how I like it; thank you, Jakey." He smiles back at me and then begins eating his breakfast.

I remain silent as we eat, deep in thought as many questions surface while I think over what Makenna and Eric said.

_What if other people think that Jake and I are involved, too?_

_Is spending most of his free time with me preventing Jake from dating other girls?_

_Why hasn't he dated anyone since we moved to Seattle?_

This last question piques my curiosity the most, so I just blurt it out. "Jake, why haven't you dated anyone since we moved here?"

He frowns, setting down his coffee. "Why?"

"I'm just curious," I shrug. "Is it because you spend all your time with me?"

"Why would you think that, Lee?" he asks, scowling.

"Well, I don't know. You're always here, and I've never seen you with anyone else, so..."

"Maybe it's because I don't want to be in a relationship."

"Is it because of what happened with Bella?"

His jaw clenches, his eyes piercing as he speaks. "I don't want to talk about that, Leah."

And it's with great reason, because, as I've said before, Bella devastated him.

He and Bella met when he was just fourteen, and he immediately became enamored with his father's best friend's daughter the summer that she moved to Port Angeles. They became inseparable friends despite their two-year age-gap since she was sixteen, but everything changed once school started and she met Edward Cullen, a high school senior.

Bella and Edward began dating soon after they met, creating conflicts between Jake and Bella since Edward didn't like her hanging out with him. Nevertheless, Bella and Jake remained friends, which was a good thing in the end. He stood by her side when she was disconsolate after Edward broke-up with her before moving to New York to attend Columbia at the end of the school year.

I'm almost sure Jake thought that with time, Bella would get over Edward and maybe set her eyes on him, but it wasn't so. In fact, it was the complete opposite; she pined over Edward despite time and distance, deciding to stay in Port Angeles until he returned after college, and when he did, she ditched Jake because Edward took her back and was jealous of their friendship.

To say that Jake was dejected would be an utter understatement. He almost failed his senior finals and lost a lot of weight, not to mention his appearance became disheveled. Once he'd graduated, he packed his bags to come to Seattle, and the rest is history.

So yeah, if I were he, I wouldn't want to talk about that, either.

Sighing, I shake my head. "I'm sorry, Jake; I didn't mean to bring that up-"

"It's fine," he says, cutting me off. "Just don't bring it up again." Shaking his head, he takes another drink from his coffee. "And just so you know, just because you haven't seen me with anyone doesn't mean I _haven't_ been with anyone, okay?"

"Oh," is my only response, since I'm a little bewildered trying to find out why that piece of information feels bothersome.

We remain silent again and continue to eat until Jake speaks up. "Why did you ask me that?"

I exhale, placing my utensils down. "Having Makenna and Eric question our friendship in the same day is fucking with my head, okay? I seriously began to think that spending too much time with me is what has prevented you from dating someone, and although I do like having you around, I wouldn't want you to sacrifice yourself for me that way."

"I would hardly call it a sacrifice, Lee; I enjoy spending time with you."

"But doesn't it bother you what other people think? Because it's clear now that everyone thinks we're an item, or something."

"Who's _everyone_? The only friend we have is Quil, and he knows about our situation, and any other acquaintances we might have don't have to know everything about us. Let them think whatever they want." He shrugs, taking a bite of toast.

I find it interesting that he doesn't seem to be affected by that, which brings up another startling question. "Jake, I'm going to ask you something, and I want you to be _completely_ honest with me, okay?"

"Okay," he says, hesitantly.

"Have you ever thought of us like that? Being more than friends?"

He exhales and shifts in his seat. "Yes, I have… more than once, actually."

"_You have_? Why haven't you said anything before?"

"Besides the fact that it would make things awkward between us? I assumed that if you were interested in me as more than a friend, you'd make a move."

"How would I even make a move if I didn't know you were thinking about us like that?"

"But that's the thing, don't you see? How can you expect me to tell you if you don't make a move, either?"

"Well, that makes sense," I coincide before we resume our now-cold breakfast, but my mind doesn't stop analyzing our situation.

I reminisce about our time together, realizing that we're not that very different from a normal couple - well, except for being attracted to each other and being intimate, of course. Although if I'm truly honest, I have always thought that Jacob is good-looking with his muscular physique, cropped, black hair and porcelain smile that radiates warmth. And not only that, but he also has a great sense of humor and he's really sweet, making him pretty much the perfect boyfriend.

And yet I had never considered him as a dating prospect. Until now, that is.

All it would take would be one small step to transcend from friendship to relationship.

And I take it as I say, "What if we gave it a try, Jake? What if you and I dated each other?"

I'm brave enough to do it because he's said that he's considered it before, and because I also know that he would never break my heart, seeing as he's been hurt before,too. I know he cares about me, and he's always respected me. I mean, the guy has slept with me on my sofa-bed many times, last night being one of them, and I know that he's done so without any ulterior motives.

His eyebrows rise as he gazes intently at me. "Are you seriously asking me that?"

"Yes," I nod. "Would you do it?"

He releases a deep exhale, grimacing for a second. "Yeah, I would, but you have to be absolutely positive that you want to do this, okay? After this, there's no going back."

_Fuck_. I'm suddenly not so sure when he puts it that way.

"Um," I gulp, "what if we gave it a try first? Like, let's see if we're compatible and stuff?"

"You mean like a test drive?" he chuckles.

Leave it to him to make an automotive reference, although that was _exactly_ what I wanted to do.

"Yeah, like a test drive."

"Okay," Jake smirks. "We'll give it a try."

We finish our breakfast and then begin washing the dishes a we customarily do; him scrubbing and I rinsing. Once we put the dishes away, Jake goes to the bathroom to change, and I go to my room to do the same.

Going into the living room, I notice that he's already picked out a movie for us to watch, even though we hadn't planned to do so. "Is _Vanilla Sky _okay?" he asks, fiddling with the DVD in his hands.

"It's perfect!" I affirm. It kinda reminds me of Heidi, because of the crazy-stalker girl situation, but I love that movie and I consider it beautiful. Sitting next to him, I place a pillow on my lap, feeling just a little bit nervous, if I'm being honest. Jake seems to be feeling the same, because as soon as the movie starts, he begins fidgeting.

"Everything okay?" I ask.

"Sure, sure," he says, as he stands, looking at me uncomfortably. "I'm just gonna go ahead and make some popcorn."

"Okay," I shrug.

Jake disappears into my kitchen, and when he reemerges, he has a large red bowl in his hands. He places it on my lap, and takes his seat next to me again, except this time it's a little closer.

"Did you want something on them?" he asks.

"Nope, this is fine."

"Okay." He shrugs, grabbing a handful of popcorn.

I resume watching the movie, yet I keep looking at him out of my periphery, observing him closely. Almost ten minutes later, he shocks me by pulling the yawn-and-stretch move. Staying still, I wait to see what he does next, and it shocks me.

He leans down and whispers in my ear, "Can I kiss you, Leah?"

A soft tremor runs through me, knowing that this is the moment of truth.

_I need to do this, _I tell myself. _I _really need _to do it._

Without replying, I turn and angle my face towards his. I look at his lips and softly press my own against them, waiting for his reaction. He exhales airily as he leans even closer, leaving practically no space between us, and he begins kissing me in earnest.

On instinct, I wrap my hand around his neck, returning his pecks, but it feels automatic. There is no passion behind my kisses, all there is the mirror of his actions, yet it's not good enough. Neither of us attempts to deepen the kiss, and we both pull away at the same time.

"I'm sorry," I mutter, "I can't do this."

"Yeah, me neither," Jake chuckles, leaning back into the couch. "That was really awkward."

"So... what do we do know?" I ask, fiddling my hands nervously.

"Now, we go to Duke's for lunch, okay? I'm really craving a charbroiled cheeseburger, and since you didn't really eat much at breakfast, I know that you're starving, too."

"Yes," I groan. "I'm so hungry, I could eat a cow."

He laughs. "I bet you really could."

"Smartass," I retort, rolling my eyes, grateful that our normal banter is still intact.

"That I am, but you love me anyway." He takes a strand of my hair and tugs on it gently. "Can you drive me to the house to get my bike so we can ride to Duke's like in the old times?"

"Definitely," I grin.

There's nothing better than going back to the way things were before today's failed experiment.

**.**

_Fuck, fuck, fuck, _I chant in my head. My stupid alarm clock didn't wake me up in time, and now I have started out my day in a rush because of Mother Nature.

_This always fucking happens when there's a thunderstorm and we have power outages. Fuck. _

Who'd think I would get upset over not having enough time to work out before work, right?

Wrong. I eat too much. I can't afford to not exercise.

Besides, it's part of my routine, and breaking it always gets me in a pissy mood.

So, when I arrive at work, I'm not the best person to hang around with.

"What's wrong with you?" Makenna asks, as we walk into my office. "You look like you could rip off anyone's head just for breathing in the same space as you."

I raise my brow at her, giving her my best bitchface. "It's Monday, Makenna; why on earth would you expect me to be in a good mood? Oh, and before you give me some snide remark about how I need to get laid, I'm gonna go ahead and warn you that if you give me _any_ details about your hookup with Quil on Friday night, I will hurt you. Badly."

"Damn, girl, you really _do_ need to get laid."

I exhale, slumping my shoulders in defeat. "Makenna, _please_."

"Sorry," she chuckles. "And don't worry; I don't kiss and tell, babygirl."

"Thank you," I sigh, taking a seat and gathering some files from my desk. "So, what's scheduled for today?"

"We have a meeting with Riley Biers at eleven am. He's the divorcé that's looking for a studio apartment."

"He's the writer, right?"

"That would be him," Makenna replies. "We have him penned in for the whole day so we can take a look at various properties. If we finish up soon with today's properties, we can come back and start working on our monthly report."

"I'd completely forgotten about that," I admit, grimacing. "Well, if we don't start that today, we'll do it tomorrow."

Mak grins at me. "Sounds like a plan, girl! Now, let's go get you some coffee."

"_Yes_," I stand and grab my purse, "my treat today."

**.**

Riley Biers is one helluva good-looking man – tall, toned and with chiseled features. He showed up fifteen minutes earlier than scheduled in a charcoal-grey suit, with his blonde, spiked-up hair and dark sunglasses.

And, oh, is he charming.

But that still didn't mean he wasn't a pain in the ass when it came to finding his apartment.

Makenna and I spent almost four months trying to find a place that he liked, and now, I'm not saying that I haven't had to work that long or even longer on other sales, but for an apartment? That's setting a new record.

The very first district that we tried was Ballard, and given that it's Pacific Northwest's largest fishing harbor, he didn't like it because of its smell and the colder weather. Next, we tried Belltown, which is at the north end of the downtown area and the Pike Place Market of Seattle, so he said it was too hectic for him.

And just when we thought we'd hit the jackpot at Capitol Hill, a male patron at Starbucks asked him out to dinner so he could appropriately "welcome him into the community." Like I said, the man is fucking beautiful. So much so that he got hit on by a man who didn't mind if he wasn't gay, causing Riley to just about have a heart attack and run the opposite way to a new district.

Thankfully, he finally settled in at Pioneer Square, and I think Makenna and I internally squealed in that moment.

We headed back to the office and began working on his paperwork, setting up an appointment for the following Wednesday so that he could read over his contract and sign the lease. After work that day, I headed home and sat on my couch alone, watching _Savages_ as I ate a pint of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream to celebrate.

And now I completely understand why Mak thought that Quil, Jake and I had some sort of threesome going on while we lived together. Yeah, neither of them is interested in me that way - especially Jake – having proved that a few months back.

When Wednesday rolls around and we've finalized our transaction, Riley invites me to have dinner with him on Saturday night, shocking the beejesus out of me. Nevertheless, I accept, focusing on getting myself back on the market and Riley seems like a good candidate for that.

Taking that into consideration, I went shopping in the morning and bought myself a beautiful coral and grey, ombré dress, as well as matching grey strappy-heels. I also got a mani-pedi at a small nail-salon by my house, so now my nails match my dress – both on my hands and feet. I even bought a new grey clutch for tonight to make my outfit perfect.

It's now Saturday, and I'm getting ready for my date.

I exhale and part my hair as I stand in front of the mirror in my bathroom. Tying my hair on my right side, I give myself a once over, checking to make sure my make-up looks okay. Satisfied, I go to my room and change; I put on a nude, lingerie set and then slip my dress over, zipping up the back, before putting on my shoes. Just as I'm heading to the living room, the doorbell rings.

Riley smiles at me once I open the door. "Wow, Leah, you looking stunning tonight."

"Thank you," I say, blushing with the compliment. "You look nice, too." And he really does. Tonight, he's wearing a light-brown suit, which, as always, is perfectly fitted.

"Are you ready to go, or do you need more time?" he asks.

"No, I'm good, just let me get my purse, and we'll be all set." I grab my clutch from my hall table and throw in my cell phone along with a small wallet and exist, locking up behind me.

Riley and I make small talk during the drive to the restaurant and continue once we're seated. I can tell that he's trying to engage me into a full conversation, but my mind isn't really present. This continues until our dinner is over, and when he drops me off at my house, he doesn't even ask to come in.

I guess our non-chemistry was really apparent, huh?

As I'm entering my house, my cell phone rings with Makenna's name flashing across the screen.

"What's up?" I ask, as I accept the call.

"Hey, babygirl, how's your date going?" she asks in a perky voice.

"Oh, my God, Mak," I groan, as I enter. "That was the date from hell. I'm actually at home right now. "

Makenna cackles loudly. "I knew it! Where did you guys have dinner?"

"Il Terrazzo Carmine," I sigh. "I had always wanted to go there, and now that I have, I didn't enjoy it."

"That sucks," Mak observes. "Well, why don't you head on to Mike's? The boys and I are going there in a bit. Eric said a local band that was discovered there is playing tonight, and apparently they made it big, so it's like this huge thing, or something."

"You think we'll be able to get in, then?"

"Girl, we're VIPs! Of course we'll get in," she scoffs.

"Okay, well, I'll text you when I get there."

"Sure, sure," she says in a deep voice, mocking Jake.

I laugh, shaking my head. "Alright. Bye, Jacob."

"Bye," she laughs.

I smile as I think about my newest friend's goofiness. She's actually become a permanent fixture in our lot, or in the words of Alan from _The Hangover, "_the newest member of our wolf pack," and she's definitely a nice addition to all of our lives.

.

When I arrive at Mike's, everyone's already drinking, including Jake.

He walks over to me and hugs me. "Leah-Lee, you're late," he slurs.

I laugh. "And you're tipsy."

"Just a little, but I'm fine," he says, brushing me off. "It's a good thing you got here, though. I'm beginning to feel a little lonely."

I look over at Mak and Quil, and sure enough, they're making out at our regular table. "Ugh," I groan. "Those two need to get a room."

"Tell me about it," he agrees. "But anyways, where have you been?"

"I went on a date," I admit.

He looks me up and down. "Dressed like that?"

Frowning, I look at my outfit. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

Raising his brows, he says, "You look too desirable."

"You're fucking crazy," I laugh.

"Might be," he says, shrugging. "Or maybe I've had too much to drink. Which reminds me: we need to get _you_ some beer."

.

After we headed over to our table, the four of us continued drinking pretty heavily, making all of us lose our inhibitions. Jake and I actually danced together for a couple of songs, and that's when things began to get heated between us.

While we moved to the music, I could feel Jake's body responding to mine in a way that I never had before. The surprising thing is how my body reacted to his in the same way and it led us to kiss each other on the dance floor and to allow us to give in to an unbounded desire that led us to have sex for the first time.

Looking back on it, I realize that that night was a catalyst for _everyone_.

Jake and I continued to sleep together after that night, and now, six months later, we have a somewhat normal relationship. We go out with Quil and Makenna on double dates on occasions, and although Jake spends the night at my place regularly, we haven't put a label on our situation.

Mak and Quil are another story; they've actually solidified things. Their casual hookups transitioned into a fully committed relationship and are even moving in together now. I would imagine that Makenna would be extremely happy, so I'm currently baffled as to why she drove to my house and is in tears at the moment.

Holding her close to me, a hiccupping sob erupts between us and Makenna strengthens her hold around me. "Shhh, it's gonna be okay, Makky; it's gonna be okay. You just need to calm down, honey."

She nods, and we remain silent, rocking back and forth until she's somewhat tranquil. "Alright, tell me what's going on?"

"Quil proposed to me Leah," she sniffles. "He told me he loves me."

My eyebrows rise to epic proportions. Firstly, because I never expected Quil settle down, and secondly, because this is not the reaction I would have expected from Mak, and I tell her this.

"I don't deserve it, Leah. I don't deserve to be loved." she sobs. "I'm a horrible person."

"How can you say that? You're not horrible, Mak-"

"You say that because you don't know the terrible things I've done. If you did, you probably wouldn't even be my friend."

I shake my head. "You can't possibly know that for a fact, and whatever you did couldn't be that bad."

"Would you still be my friend if I told you that I dated a married man? Because that's what I did, Lee," she says, breaking away from our embrace. "And it's so fucking cliché, that I don't know what embarrasses me more."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," I assure her.

Makenna sniffles. "It's okay. I… I _need_ to tell someone, y'know? I haven't talked about it to anyone. I didn't have any friends when it happened." She smiles derisively. "Actually, no; the people I thought were my friends turned their back on me."

I don't know what to say, so I remain silent and give her time to continue, which she does.

"I was nineteen when I met Charles, and God, I was so naïve. I had just started working and he was my boss; I believed everything he told me, and I stupidly fell in love. So, when he broke it off three years later, I lost my shit."

She looks at me and holds my hand. "I tried to break up his marriage, Lee. I went after his wife and told her all about our affair, thinking that she would leave him, but all she did was tell me that I wasn't the first extramarital occurrence her husband had. That broke my heart… It devastated me, and on top of it all, I lost my job."

"Oh, my God, that's terrible, Makenna," I lament. "What did you do then?"

"Charles called his contacts and told them that I had been fired for malpractice, so nobody would hire me. I seriously thought that I would never be able to work again in the realty business, but that was until Jane went to visit my family in California and she offered me a job after learning about my situation. 'A new beginning,' she called it."

My eyes tear up as I exhale, reminiscing about my own new start. I tighten my grip around her hand and smile at her. "I'm really glad that you took up on her offer, Makky. I don't know what my life would have been without you."

She smiles shyly, wiping her tears with her free hand. "You had Jacob, Lee. You still do, and although I'm glad that our friendship has thriven, I know that you would have been fine without me."

"I'm not really sure about that," I sigh. "Things were very different between Jake and I back then; so much has changed."

"For good?" she prompts.

"Yes, for good." I agree. "And now after everything that's happened with us, I realize that I never saw the signs that Jake might be interested in me as more than a friend and it's probably because I'd closed myself off to everything pertaining to the matters of the heart."

"What about now?"

"Now I am aware, but I'm also cautious," I confess. "I can't let my guard down, even if he does make me happy."

"Well, I think that you both deserve each other," Makenna says, smiling.

"Just like you deserve all the happiness that's in your life right now, girl," I hold her close to me and mirror her smile. "And you're wrong, y'know?"

She raises her brow. "About what?"

"Everybody deserves to be loved," I whisper. "Especially wonderful people like you."

**.**

After that, Quil and Jake show up at my house, and we have pizza for dinner. Once they leave, Jake and I snuggle in my sofa bed and watch movies until late, which is the reason why I didn't hear my alarm clock go off this morning. Again.

"Shit," I grumble under my breath as I look at my watch. I'm twenty minutes late, so I hope that my potential buyer is still waiting for me, otherwise I'm fucked. I grab my Lumia and portfolio from the passenger seat of my car and exit, making my way to the office.

As I enter hurriedly, I stop by Maggie's desk. "Hey, girl, is my ten-o'clock still here?"

She nods. "Mrs. Masen got here about thirty minutes ago. I went ahead and escorted her to your office and offered her some coffee."

"Thank you," I exhale. "You're a lifesaver, Maggie."

She smiles. "Not really, but if you want to make it up to me, you can always get me a Starbucks gift card."

Chuckling, I nod. "You got it."

I walk to my office and open the door, "I apologize for my tardiness, Mrs. Masen. Traffic downtown was a beast."

And then I stop in my tracks.

Because when I look up to see who's seated by my desk, it's none other than Bella Swan – the same Bella Swan that broke Jake's heart and whom was supposed to be Marie Masen, the wife of a local doctor.

_Oh, God, how did I not realize it before? _

Bella looks practically the same, except that her wardrobe definitely got an upgrade from five years ago. I would dare to say that everything she's wearing has a designer's label tag on it. Well, it seems that life with Edward Cullen has treated her well.

My anger flares as she stands and smiles at me. "What the fuck are you doing here, Bella?" I spit, taking a step back. "Is this some kind of fucking joke?"

"Wait, Leah, please hear me out," she implores. "I really need to talk to you."

"_About what_?" I sneer. "You and I know we have _nothing_ to talk about. So, leave. _Now_."

"I need your help with Jacob," she rushes. "Edward and I just got back from New York, and when I went to look for him at Port Angeles, nobody would tell me where he was. All I could find out was that he moved Seattle. I was able to trace him, and I know that he has an auto shop with Quil-"

"Well, if you know where he is, why don't you go talk to him instead?" If I'm truly honest, though, I don't want her doing that.

"Like I said before, I need your help. I need you to convince him to talk me so that I can apologize for-"

"_Apologize_?" I scoff. "And what did you think? That you'd lie to me, making me waste my time by setting up this meeting, just so you could get your way?"

"You wouldn't have agreed to meet me any other way, and I knew that you would have hung up on me if I'd told you over the phone," she explains.

"Damn right, I would," I hiss. "And there is _no_ _way_ that I'm going to help you out."

"Leah, I know I don't deserve it, but please give me another chance. I want to make amends with Jake, and I-"

"What for? Just so you can take advantage of him and discard him like you've done before?"

"It's not like that, Leah," she says, fidgeting. "I'm… I'm getting married."

I chuckle darkly. "So, _that's_ why you're looking for him, huh? Edward _finally_ gave you permission to be friends with him again?"

Something flares inside Bella, making her snap. "You don't know anything," she sneers. "Besides, why do you care so much?"

"_Why_?" I retort, glaring at her. "Because he's my friend and I don't want to see him be hurt by you once more! Do you have any idea what it was like to see him so broken after you left him? He was devastated, Bella! So, don't you dare come into my office and tell me that I have no right to be concerned about my friend! And if that is all, you can leave!"

My door opens unexpectedly as Makenna walks into my office. "What's going on in here, Leah? I could hear you from across the room."

"Don't worry about it, Mak. This bitch was just leaving," I snarl.

"I don't know what I was thinking to believe that _you_ would help me," Bella says, as she picks up her coat and purse, returning my glare. "Thanks for nothing."

And with that, she exits, leaving Makenna and I in my silent office. Mak turns to me just in time to see my tears spill over as I take my seat. She walks over to me and hugs me, relieving me of the constrained combination of anger and fear that has overcome me.

We stay like that for five minutes until Makenna stands and pushes back my hair. "Okay, who was that and why are freaking out right now?"

I wipe my continuous tears futilely, trying to regain my composure. "That was Jake's ex… friend."

Mak raises her brow. "_Ex-friend_? How did that happen?"

"Let me explain," I sigh, and then go on to tell her all about Jake's history with Bella. When I'm done, Makenna gives me a confused look.

"Wow," is her only response.

"Yeah, can you believe it?" I scoff. "That girl has some gall."

"What I don't understand is your reaction, Lee. You're acting as if she was trying to take him away from you, and she doesn't even know that you guys are together."

I push back my chair as I stand, frustrated and upset. "That's fucking absurd, Makenna. Besides, Jake and I aren't official, and you know that. He can leave me whenever he wants, and I'm _completely_ aware of that."

"Why are you in fucking denial, Leah? What you and Jake have is more than a relationship, so why won't you get your head out of your ass since he can't seem to do it either?"

"You know what?" I snap. "I don't want to talk about this anymore, alright?"

"Fine," she barks. "But you know I'm right."

"Whatever." I roll my eyes, exhaling sharply. "I need to return some phone calls, so if you'll excuse me…"

Makenna shakes her head, rolling her eyes at me now. "Yeah, yeah, I'm leaving, but just remember that I'm here for you in case you need someone to talk."

Smiling ruefully, I say, "Thank you, Makky."

"No problem, babygirl," she says, winking.

.

For the next couple of hours, I can't get anything done, so I give up and decide to call Jake. Just as I'm about to pick up my cell phone, it rings. A small smile appears as I realize that it's him.

"Hey," he chuckles.

"Hey," I flatly reply. "What's up?"

"I was just calling to see how your day was going, but judging from your tone, things aren't that great at the office."

I sigh, sitting back in my chair as I stare out the window. "Yeah, they're not, and it might have had something to do with the fact that I was lake to work this morning."

"I would apologize about that, but it's really amusing to see you asleep, so I decided to leave you alone," he confesses.

"Well, although that sounds romantic, I'm still pissed at you for making me miss my workout in the morning."

"I don't know why you insist on doing that," he scoffs. "You have a rocking body as it is."

"Well, I wouldn't have to work out continuously if you didn't cook so much fattening foods," I sneer.

"I thought you loved my food, Lee."

"I do, but that's the problem; I always end up eating too much."

"Yeah, but you still shouldn't worry about that. Besides, I give you plenty of workouts in bed."

"Okay, now you're just being cocky," I admonish.

"I'm always cocky around you, baby," he chuckles.

I groan. "Ugh, you're terrible, Jacob Black; terrible and cheesy."

He releases a throaty chuckle, and says, "So, listen, I'm gonna head home early so I can work on some paperwork that I need to hand over to my accountant on my meeting next week."

"Oh, okay," is my disappointed answer, because I kinda really wanted to see him today.

"Alright, I'll see you later," he says before hanging up.

.

The rest of my day doesn't get any better. Needless to say, I'm in a sour mood as I make my way home, but when I get there, I'm greatly surprised to see Jake's motorcycle parked in front of the house. That's not the biggest surprise, though, because when I enter, I find him in the kitchen, wearing an apron and cooking.

I smirk at the juxtaposition that is Jake at the moment; all muscle and brawn garnished in pink and cupcakes. Silently, I remain where I am, observing his every move. He fits right in here, and it's not until this moment that I remember how casually he said that he was going home.

Home, as in _my _home.

This realization makes me smile brighter than the sun on a hot Seattle day.

Jake's looking for something in my cupboards when he finally notices me for the first time. "Hey, baby, you're home," he says with a smile as he walks toward me.

"Hi." I smirk, looking up at him while we wraps his arms around me, leaning down to place a kiss against my lips.

"You're home early," he notices.

I thread my fingers in his hair at the nape of his neck, ruffling it. "Yeah, just a little, but it's warranted given the shitty day I've had."

He squeezes me a little tighter. "Well, I hope that the dinner I'm making cheers you up at least a little."

Raising my brow, I ask, "What _are_ you making Chef Boyardee?"

"Ha ha," he chuckles. "I'm making your favorite: Macaroni and Cheese Casserole."

"You're the best, you know that?" I say and then give him a small kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Lee." He smiles and then pulls away. "Now let me go finish so we can eat."

"Okay," I acquiesce, baffled with the exchange that just occurred between us and it's all I can think about during dinner.

While I've said those three words to him many times, I realize that it might the first time I don't say them in a brotherly context as usual.

And that scares the crap out of me.

I know Jake said it back, but he always does, so it doesn't make a difference. I decide not to dwell on it anymore, though; I have enough to stress about as it is.

Once we finish eating, I help Jake clear the table and head to the sink to wash the dishes, but he stops me. "Let me take care of that, but I'll do it later. Right now I wanna take care of you first."

I laugh. "Really? And what did you have in mind?"

"Hmm, well, it involves a bed and you and me naked."

"I think I like this plan," I tease.

"Oh, you're gonna love it." He smirks smugly. "But just to make sure, you're not on your period, right?"

I shake my head. "Nope, that's until next week."

"Okay, good."

We make our way to my bedroom then, kissing each other as we stand by the foot of my bed removing our clothes. When we move up on the bed, Jake crawls above me, situating himself between my legs and then kissing me once we're settled. His hips swivel in a slow motion, creating the best friction against my sex while he trails kisses down my neck.

I arch up from the bed, moaning as he fondles my breasts in his hands. "Fuck," I moan.

"Not yet." He taunts. "I'm not quite ready for that."

I wiggle against him, and say, "Doesn't feel like it, honey."

Groaning, he moves to take my nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it. I hold him close to me as he continues his ministrations on my breast and then the other, squirming beneath him all the while.

When Jake's finally done with all of our foreplay, he aligns his hardness at my entrance, thrusting inside in one swift movement. I gasp as he takes my hands and interlaces them with his, pinning them above my head.

"Shit," he pants. "You feel so good, baby."

A breathless chuckle escapes me, smiling as I wrap my legs around him. "You feel really good, too... so deep."

As if that's his cue, he sits up, taking me along with him. We briefly [separate] in order for me properly straddle his lap, but in less than a minute, we're reconnected again. I kiss him languidly as he anchors me to him, wrapping his arms around my shoulders as he thrusts up into me. My hands tug at his short hair while I slide up and down his length, moaning as we move together.

Jake breaks away from our kiss, panting and breathless as we gaze into each other's eyes. "You're so beautiful, " he tells me.

I smile shyly and place a soft peck against his lips before saying, "You make me feel that way."

"Good," he says, pushing me down on him as he thrusts up deeply.

Gasping, I speed up my movements to mirror his, knowing we're both close to falling over the edge. Jake's grip on me tightens as leans his forehead against mine and says, "Come with me, Leah."

I chuckle at how cliché that sounds, yet I acquiesce, snaking a hand between us and begin circling my clit with my fingers, rubbing our combined slickness around me. I can feel the heat emanating from where we're connected, and it's the most intense sensation I've ever felt.

Our damp bodies move together and against each other, igniting a scorching blaze that runs through me as the continuous friction I'm creating with my hand fulfills its purpose. I cry out once more, clenching around Jake's arousal, spurring his already rapid thrusting.

"Jesus fuck," he pants, as my body explodes in pleasure, seizing my movements. Jake follows behind me quickly, spilling himself inside me after a couple more thrusts. We remain silent as we come down from our high, only our pants audible in my room. After a few minutes, we untangle ourselves and then take a shower.

When we're in bed, Jake snuggles up to me and asks, "Do you wanna talk about what you all messed up earlier?"

I shake my head, saying, "Not really; we can talk about it later."

But we don't, and it's been a week since my encounter with Bella messed me up. As I'm getting ready to go out with Quil and Makenna on a double date tonight, Jake arrives.

I grin as I greet him, but unfortunately, my smile is short-lived when I notice his somber demeanor. "What's the matter?" I ask.

He shrugs, exhaling loudly. "Just had a busy day. That is all."

"Oh, okay." I shrug and finish applying my mascara before turning to him and asking, "Did you wanna take a shower? Mak and Quil will be here soon."

"About that," he says, swallowing audibly. "Can we cancel? There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

I place my mascara on my vanity and gaze up at him. "Why don't we just wait until we come-"

"I'm actually not in the mood to go out, Leah."

And that's the exact moment when I realize that something is wrong, because Jake hardly ever calls me that.

"Fine," I huff. "But don't take out whatever's bothering you on me. It's not my fault your in a bad mood."

"I don't know about that," he chuckles darkly. "You might be the sole person responsible for it."

I frown. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you know who visited me today?" he asks, raising his brow.

"No," I scoff, "but maybe I would if you a quit spinning in circles."

"Edward Cullen was at the shop today," he spits. "And do you know what he told me?"

All my blood drains to my feet as the direction of this conversion hits me in the face, but I don't show it.

Placing my hands on my hips, I square my shoulders and say, "No, so why don't you tell me?"

The last remnants of Jake's composure crumble as he snaps. "Seriously? You're going to act as if you don't know what he said? How he told me that Bella went to your office last week and that you kicked her out?"

"Is that what he said? That little bitch went to tattle tell so that he'd go talk to you? That's fucking unbelievable."

"No, you wanna know what's unbelievable? The fact that it happened and you didn't tell me. _That's_ what's unbelievable," he snarls.

"I didn't tell you because I wasn't ready," I confess. "I tried once, but I choked, okay? And it doesn't even matter any way."

"What do you mean 'it doesn't matter'?" Jake cries out. "This is a big deal."

"It's only a big deal because you're making it one. Did you know that she wants to be friends again?"

"Yes, I do, because _Edward_ told me, and he also said that she wants us to go to their wedding."

"I'm not going," I snap. "And neither are you for that matter."

"You can't tell me what to do, Leah," he grits out. "Plus, I decide who I want to be friends with, not you."

Rage courses through me as I hear this absurdity. "How can you want to be friends with her after what she did to you? Did you forget about how you're here _because_ of her?"

"No, I haven't forgotten, but I'm not going to hold a grudge against someone who wants to rectify their mistake, especially when they were such an important part of my life."

"Fine," I spit. "You want to be friends with her again? Go ahead, but don't expect me to stand by and watch as she does the same thing to you again, because I know that somewhere down the road, Edward's gonna change his mind and he's not going to want you hanging out his precious wife."

"Leah," he sighs, "you don't know that."

"No, I don't, but I'm not taking any chances."

"So, what are you saying? That you won't be with me anymore if I decide to talk to her again?"

"Exactly," I defy.

Jake looks at me pleadingly. "Lee, don't do this."

Shaking my head, I say, "No, don't _you_ do this."

Jake looks defeated as he speaks. "You're not being fair when you're making me choose."

But the truth is that he shouldn't have to choose; he should just know what to do, and the fact that he's considering choosing her over me finally breaks me. All of the repressed anger turns into hurt, causing my unshed tears to spill over. "If you're going to be friends with her again, you should just leave right now, but if you leave, don't ever come back, Jake. We're done. For good."

"Leah, please," he begs. "You don't know what you're saying."

"Oh, but I do," I say, standing my ground. "The one that doesn't know is you."

"You want to be that way? _Fine_," he snaps. "But don't blame me for it, because _this_? This is all on you."

And then he exits my room, slamming the door as he leaves my house. I remain in the spot where he left me, unmoving as silent tears trail down my cheeks in a continuous stream. It isn't until Makenna's arms wrap around me that I realize that she's even entered my room.

"What happened, Leah?" she asks, concerned. "We were just about to knock when Jake stormed off."

"He chose her, Mak. Jake chose her over me," I sob, and it's all I have to say because she's become the kind of friend that knows what's the one thing that would hurt me so.

Jake doesn't come back the following week, nor the next and the one that follows it. I kind of expected him to, but now I don't know.

I must admit that his departure broke me in more ways than one; the first being the realization that I had actually fallen in love with him, and it only hurt so much because it happened a little too late. I couldn't take back my words, but I wasn't completely sure that I wanted to.

He hurt me deeply when he left, and that kind of pain has been killing me day by day. I haven't been able to sleep in weeks, and I haven't had the energy to work out, either. Makenna has been hanging out with me after work, but she's not able to stay long because she has to go home to Quil.

The most shocking thing that happens to me after Jake's departure is finding out that I'm pregnant, but the worst is how it lands me in the hospital where I am now.

As I wake up, I realize that I am not alone; Jake is sitting beside me.

"Hey," he says softly.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him.

"Mak called me," he simply responds.

I break away from his gaze, looking at anything but him. "I told her not to do that."

"I know, Quil told me, but she was worried about you, so can you blame her for that?"

"What did Quil tell you?"

"Everything, Lee."

"You don't have to worry, though. I'm not going to ask you to for anything if that's what you're concerned about."

"It's not. I'm concerned about you and my baby… I want to be a part of your lives if you'll let me."

I scoff. "Why? You left me, remember?"

"Because you pushed me away, but I'm here now."

I shake my head. "I don't want you to feel like you're obligated to be with me because of the baby, either."

"I'm here because I want to be, because I _need_ to be, but most importantly, I'm here because I love you."

I turn to look at him then, gazing into his eyes. "What did you say?"

"I said that I love you, and I mean it, just like I meant it the night we conceived our baby."

Frowing, I ask, "How do you know that-"

"I just do," he shrugs. "And I'm here now to do whatever it takes for you to take me back."

"Why would I do that?"

"You have to take a chance on me, Lee. You have to trust me."

I decide then, that I'm going to take that chance. First, because I love him and it's the best for my baby and me, but most importantly, because it's time to start over – to turn a page onto a new chapter of my life.

And just like the seasons, I too need to change. I can't stay in winter forever.

* * *

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